Mindless
by DustTilDawn
Summary: Bartholomew Oobleck was not always a Huntsman. Before he chose a life of teaching, he was a doctor who had never touched a weapon. Follow him before he decided to turn his thermos into a flaming club. Follow him into the Faunus village of Menagerie, where his life would be forever changed.
1. Awakening

**A/N: The prologue to a probably long long story about my favorite Huntsman, Bartholomew Oobleck. Tell me how many references you can spot?  
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><p>"Bart? Bart…" That voice. It was soft, like velveteen coffee, and so very familiar, yet he knew that this was the kind of voice he'd be unable to forget. Where had he heard it before, if he had ever heard it at all? "Bart…, I'm waiting for you…"<p>

He reached out, but there was only a pale brown light. He couldn't even see his hands in front of him. Where was he? This voice, who was this person? Where were they? It was ageless, androgynous, timeless. It was clearer than water, and darker than obsidian. There was no way to discern whether it was a man or a woman, a child or an adult, a human or a Faunus.

"Where…Where are you?"

"I'm here…I've always been here. And I will always be."

"Where!" Bartholomew Oobleck woke up with a start in a cold sweat. He had fallen asleep again. This was not good. He had no time, absolutely no time at all before he had to take his exam. If he did not pass, he would be excluded from the upcoming trip to Menagerie. He would have to wait another year before his next chance.

The sky was still dark out. His room was small and cluttered. There was only really room for a small desk, a small window, and a bunk bed. In both empty corners of the room, several stacks of books looked at if they were ready to keel over. His previous roommate, a young man by the name of Theodor Geisel, had graduated the year before and the spot had been left empty ever since. His desk was an entrapment of papers, maps, and medical studies. His bed, despite being equally as cluttered with books and papers, looked as if it had not been slept in for quite some time. No, he did not have time for that either.

The book he had been studying was not in fact, his medical book, but a history book. He had been studying the history of Menagerie and the citizens who lived upon it, namely Faunus. He had grown up with few Faunus. In fact, he had grown up with few children at all. The only son of legendary Huntress, Susee Oobleck, he had been her sole hope in life. She had wished so dearly that her only son would be a great Huntsman but her dreams did not bear fruit.

Bartholomew had no interest in fighting. All the animals he came in contact with were already dead by the time his hands would touch them. The same could be said for the people. He preferred books and hikes to people, and he preferred studying history and life over grim. He did not have the makings of a Huntsman. She kicked him out of her home when he started attending Morse Academy instead of Signal.

Bartholomew lightly slapped himself in the face . Now was not the time to be thinking about Mother. He had an exam, and a subsequent month-long field trip to prepare for.

However, no matter how hard he tried, he could not get the information to stick in his head. All he could think about was that voice from his dream. Those words. That…person, whoever it was that was speaking to him, kept appearing in his mind's eye as a figment, a shadow. They had a shape, they had a being, but no matter how hard he tried, they just couldn't come into focus.

Several hours later, his exam was over. He felt blurry-eyed and tired. The results would be up tomorrow. He would have the rest of the day to relax, but he was not quite sure what to do. Vale was a beautiful city, but it did not interest him. Spotlight was a good school, but it did not provide him with much to think about outside of his studies.

Bartholomew, or simply Bart, as his friends liked to call him, didn't actually have friends. He did have two acquaintances from his classes named Derwin and Cubbins and they were the ones who liked to call him Bart. He himself preferred to be called Dr. Oobleck. He was just one exam and a field trip away from getting his PH.D in the medical studies after all. It only took him 4 years at that. At the ripe young age of 22, he was soon to become the youngest doctor on the battlefield.

He returned to his dorm room with a mug of coffee in front of him. A map of Remnant was open on his desk. This map would later accompany him should he pass his test. The ridiculous examination earlier had only been his penultimate exam. The real test would be in Menagerie, or what was left of it. Every year, the medical students of Spotlight Academy had one final exam in that godforsaken place overrun by Faunus.

According to one of his books, Menagerie was the sole reason behind the entirety of the Faunus Rights Revolution. Humans with political power had decided to deport all the Faunus that they could capture onto Menagerie itself. The jungle by that time had been overrun by animals and grim. Many humans, supporters and refuters alike, believed that there was no way that they would have survived.

Everyone had been wrong.

The revolution had lasted a total of three years. In that time, hundreds of Faunus had been quarantined to Menagerie. While many of them did die, most Faunus learned to control their semblance, they learned to fight, and they made their homes on the small island, fending off grim and human raiders both. Over time, those Faunus had become strong. Many of them left the island to join the White Fang, where they became some of the strongest members in the rebel group. Others stayed on the island because they had become accustomed to the wild life in which they had lived for the past few years. A few even joined the training academies around the world to become Huntsman and Huntresses.

Menagerie was to be the place where his final exam was to take place. He would spend a month there in learning how they lived. He and his classmates were to help those who were sick or wounded, and there would be many. It was not an easy place to live. Many young Faunus are attacked when they leave their camps. Some hunting parties leave and never return. It was not a safe place, but they would be accompanied by several Huntsman and Huntresses from Beacon Academy on their own missions.

Beacon Academy, a school that practically floated on the water. He saw it every day. In the kingdom of Vale, there were quite a number of schools that were designed to train Huntsman and Huntresses, but Beacon was considered to be the best. The Hunters and Huntresses that trained there would go on creating great names for themselves. They would go on the most dangerous missions while defending their cities. Some would even return to Beacon to become teachers. It was no place for someone like him.

Oobleck sighed. He had chosen Spotlight but he was reminded everyday of the other life he had given up. His mother had gone to Beacon, and she had hoped that one day, he too would graduate from the prestigious academy. He had let her down. He had chosen a life devoid of fighting and killing and he did not regret it. However, he could not help but wonder, how would his life had turned out otherwise.

It was foolish to cogitate such things however. Bartholomew Oobleck was no Huntsman, and no matter how hard he tried, he never would be.

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><p><strong>AN: Hoohoo! Prologue complete! Please notify me of any mistakes. Otherwise, please wait for the next chapter. Rwby, it's world and characters do not belong to me but to RoosterTeeth. They are subject to use under the Fair Use Clause under copyright. Thank you!**


	2. A Cup of Coffee

**A/N: Here, we go. Chapter 2. The world of Rwby and all its characters belong to RoosterTeeth. I claim no ownership to anything. **

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><p>About a week later, everything was prepared. Bartholomew had packed his bags. The exam scores were in and he had passed with flying colors. A class of about 20 students including himself were now boarding a plane to Menagerie. Derwin and Cubbins did not pass, unfortunately, so he would be going on this trip with a group of near strangers, and his examiner.<p>

On the other side of the plane, a team of four Huntresses were led by Oscar Ozpin, one of the most famous of the new Huntsman of Beacon Academy. He was famous, said to have originally fought alongside General Ironwood in the previous war. It was unclear as to why he joined Beacon's rank as a teacher instead of staying in the army. Had he done so, it was possible that he could've surpassed General Ironwood himself.

The plane landed without much incident. The Hunters and Huntresses seemed to be excited, but Ozpin himself barely spoke at all, except to confirm when they would land. He certainly seemed as mysterious as everyone else implied.

As Bartholomew walked off the plan, the first thing he smelled was ash. It wasn't normal either. The smell almost made him want to choke. He could feel the embers in the air, landing and burning his skin. How did the people here live?

"Filthy animals… Just look at them." It was one of the Huntsman who had spoken. He did not look old, perhaps just a little older than himself. He had orange hair that covered one of his green eyes and a mix of black and white clothing. It was obvious that he had spent a lot of time in keeping his outfit clean, but it would be muddled by the ash soon.

"What on earth are they doing?" His partner asked him. She was a dark-skinned girl of around the same age, perhaps a little younger but she was over a head shorter with long blue hair.

"Who knows? We can't know what goes on in those animal brains of theirs." He answered, shrugging.

"You shouldn't be so mean Roman, they're people too." They girl sounded a little distressed at her partner's insulting words.

"They're not people, Azure. They're beasts. Almost as bad as the Grim. Remember, we're not here for them. We're here to protect these egghead doctors." It was clear that the racist Huntsman was talking about himself and the rest of his classmates.

"Attention! All of you." His examiner had gathered them all together. This was it. His last examination. This would be the last speech he would ever need to hear, if only this man would hurry. "The village that lays before you is dangerous. The leader of the Faunus here have been notified of our trip. He has already gathered several patients for you to tend to. Even those Faunus are all capable of fighting however. They have grown in different conditions than the ones you may know. They are weakened, but they are also strong. Take caution when you are with them. Beacon Academy has sent a group of 3rd years to defend you from anything that may harm you. I will be watching you from the shadows for the next 28 days. I will look at your medical practices and how you do in the field. Good luck."

With that, he returned to the plane. It was safe to assume he would not be seen for the next 4 weeks. His classmates seemed at a loss for what to do. Several Faunus had gathered around in curiosity, but none of them made a move to harm them. Ozpin and his team did nothing to lead them.

It was Bartholomew who moved first. Their medical tent was clearly identified. It was clear that this was where they needed to go and there would be no time to waste. There were two guards in front of it, but they moved aside easily to let him and the other students pass. The Huntsman were ordered to stay outside.

The tent was not very large, but there was enough space to move. Many Faunus children were inside, identified by their various tails, ears, horns, skin and some even had wings. They did not look to be injured however. The ones in need of medical attention, appeared to be sleeping.

Bartholomew went to one on his immediate left. It was a young woman with a fluffy tail that could've been a variation of either a squirrel or a dog. Her chest seemed to be bleeding profusely.

This was what he trained for.

With a young boy's help, Bartholomew began immediately. He cleaned the wound first and saw that it was probably the work of a Beowolf's claws. His scroll informed him that the woman before him did not have the aura required to heal her own wounds and that was the reason for her condition. He worked tirelessly. The people around him seemed busy themselves. The Faunus children that were running around were not simply playing after all. At first, they all seemed to be armed to the teeth with enough medical knowledge that he and his classmates weren't even necessary. However, it soon became clear that even though they knew how to treat simple wounds and scrapes, it was not enough to help the people before him. What they needed were supplies.

When his work was done, the sky had already grown dark. Her wound had been properly cleaned and medicine had been applied. While it was clear that she would not be waking anytime soon, her aura seemed to be growing and helping with the healing process. The boy stayed with him as he sat by her side.

"She was hurt by Grim. I thought she would never wake up." The child next to him looked to be some sort of reptile-based Faunus of about 10. He bore no signs of fatigue but he appeared to be malnourished. He was shirtless and his ribs were clearly visible.

"This is the first time I've ever operated on a Faunus. It's remarkably similar to the body of a human. Why! I never would have thought! I mean….I mean just look! Many Faunus have animal ears, and they also have a set of human ones! Why, for what purpose would they have two? Does it impact their hearing? Perhaps making their sense of sound skyrocket to disproportional heights! Along with their uncanny ability to see in the dark, and the speedy growth of their hair and nails, their senses are just so unfathomably more developed than ours, it's profound! While this might be common knowledge to you, it's just extremely fascinating to me. There's just so very much to learn."

"You have much to say, doctor man." The boy answered. He looked confused and that was no surprise. Most people were when listening to Bartholomew. He spoke quickly and liked to use so many adjectives and adverbs that his conversational partner might not ever know what to say. It seemed that this boy fell into this category. "It's scary."

"And yet here, you sit. Clearly, you're not here because you are interested in what I say. There is another reason why you're here! It's this girl isn't it? Who is she to you? A friend? A sister? I do not believe you're related because of the animal traits you possess but it is not altogether impossible. Or perhaps she is only someone whom you simply feel a desire to defend…. I have read that Faunus have some traits that belong to the animals they encompass. You appear to have green and black scales on your skin, so I would assume you were a reptile of some sort."

"His name is Medici au Lait," The woman's eyes were wide open. She was looking at them with a slightly curious and very tired expression. "I am his mother. Who on earth are you?"

"Ah! Excellent! You're awake. My name is Bartholomew Oobleck. I'm on my medical mission to—"

She interrupted him "I see… I know of you and your kind. Your schools send people out here to help us but it is really to only help yourself. Did you save me?"

"Yes, I did. Your son helped as well. He seems well trained in the medical field, but if I may ask, why did you need help in the first place? How were you injured? And this boy seems much too old to be the son of someone so young."

She closed her eyes and smiled. "You ask too many questions of an ill-patient, young doctor. Pray tell, what is your name?" However, her voice betrayed no hint of annoyance. In fact, she sounded very amused.

"Bartholomew Oobleck."

"Well, Bartholomew. Let's begin with your first question shall we?"

And that was how their conversation started. As his classmates slept, Bartholomew spent the night talking to his young woman who had much to tell him. Her name was Mocha au Lait. She told him of her life in Menagerie. She spoke of unhappiness in her life here but her fear of seeing the world outside. For many Faunus, Menagerie was the only life they knew, and they did not know if life outside would be better. Mocha was young. Not yet, 26, she had her son at the age of 14. Her voice grew darker with every sentence, and though she did not deter any of his questions, it was clear that she was only skimming the waters.

"Faunus here choose to breed early. We want to give the best chance to the next generation. We do not know what tomorrow will bring. Only today. All we can give them, is our time and protection." She gestured to her son, who had fallen asleep on her lap as they talked. "Medici is all I have in the world."

"He cannot be all you have in the world… Hopes, dreams, your abilities. Surely, you have some happy memories. Faunus cannot reproduce asexually. Medici, has a father. He must exist, this father, somewhere."

"I do not know where he is and I do not wish to. Some things in life are better left hidden."

"Well, that's preposterous! How can knowledge ever bring harm to anyone?"

She was silent. The first time she had been so since she had awaken. She seemed tired and old, yet somehow strong. "When you first arrived here, what did you see?"

He did as he was told, but he was not quite sure what it was she wanted him to remember. "Faunus, smokes, fighting, fla-"

"I see people, who are trying very hard to live a life they did not choose. I could have chosen to leave Menagerie long ago with Medici's father, but I chose to stay because I did not know what was outside of our waters. I choose not to know. I am very afraid of that knowledge. I am afraid that if I know, then the temptation to leave will be too great, and in being so, I will abandon everyone who, like me, call this place home."

Bartholomew was left speechless. He did not have a rebuttal. He could not think of anything that would seem to fit the situation. He had never been in this sort of situation to begin with! What could he do in this situation?! He needed to read up about these types of situations….

She laughed, seeing him so confused. "You need not look so flustered, young doctor. You see, we are not so different, you and I. We help those who cannot help themselves."

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><p><strong>An: I like Mocha. I don't really know why. At first, she was just going to be a foil to Oobleck, but she's very...Cute. I think I just have a thing for Faunus in general.<strong>


	3. Meaning

Two days later, she was back on her feet. Her injuries had healed completely and her aura seemed perfectly healthy. The other Faunus in the medical tent seemed to be doing equally well, and surprisingly, there weren't any new patients.

"It's because we can defend ourselves when we hunt and gather food." Mocha explained. "We only lose when they attack us."

"But why? Humans are greatly superior to Grim in strength. Faunus even more so. They have over 50 more muscles in the body, superior senses, and a natural sense of danger. It's almost as if they were created for battle. If anything, Menagerie could be considered one of the most well-defended places on earth had it any natural borders. The four kingdoms are created as safe havens only because they are bordered by such."

Mocha and Medici both turned to look at him. They had been doing breathing exercises. She was teaching him how to control his hunger, and save his strength. Sitting side by side, it was now clear that he was his mother's son. Despite not having much in common in the terms of looks, they had the same eyes and the exact same feeling of determination. Their expressions of confusion were also eerily similar.

"You know very much, young doctor. Tell me, are all healers outside Menagerie as knowledgeable as you?"

"I do not believe so! I fancy myself an intellectual." His knowledge was something Bartholomew found pride in. It was perhaps the only thing he could pride himself in.

"I see…" Mocha was silent for a moment before she added. "Faunus here are strong, but we are also hungry and tired. When the Grim attack, they do not attack alone. They've learned that when they do, they are likely to die. They form packs and attack us together. No matter how many of them we kill, there will always be more."

This shocked him. He had never heard of such a possibility. "You can't mean…Do you believe they're sentient?"

"It is not a belief. I know it. When Medici is hurt, he learns to heal himself through aura. When animals see their comrades die, they learn to avoid our camps. Why should Grim be any different?"

"Because they're Grim! They don't have auras. They don't…live like we do! It's not possible. If you are right, it could be revolutionary! It would change everything."

Mocha contemplated this for a moment, before she got to her feet. She was dressed in what would appear to be a torn dress. A sewn handbag was slung over her shoulder filled with a small canteen and medical herbs. She did not have shoes on but she wore a gorgeous necklace that was clearly filled with dust. On her war-torn body, it looked completely out of place. "Come with me, young doctor, I have something to show you."

She started heading to the forest, however, before they could even get close, they were stopped by the Huntsmen. Two of them stood in their path. "It's dangerous in the forest. You might be killed. We can't let you go." The one who had spoken was the blue-haired girl from before.

"It's fine! I have these two Faunus to protect me, and should anything happen, I would be readily available to supply them with medical aid!" He was excited. Here was a chance to learn more about the land of Menagerie, its history, and maybe even about Grim. This trip was already far more interesting than he could have expected.

"You're not really supposed to leave the camp either…" She looked very uncomfortable and it was clear that she had no idea what she was supposed to do.

In the end, Ozpin interfered and let them leave. "However, should anything happen, I want you to return immediately. Do not engage the Grim. Just run."

Bartholomew agreed before following Medici and Mocha into the forest. They did not say much to each other while they were walking though he still had many questions for her. She had instructed them to remain quiet, and he did so. "While Grim are deaf, they can sense auras…" Bartholomew whispered to himself. He did not understand how remaining quiet would've helped him at all.

They walked for what seemed like hours. The farther into the forest they walked, the lusher the greenery became. Flowers grew to impossible sizes and the grass came up to their knees. Mocha kept her tail in the air to keep from being tickled. She held Medici's hand as they walked. He was as nearly tall as she was, and if not for his young face, they could've easily been lovers.

"We're here."

Apple trees stood before them, full and red. They seemed ripe for the picking. A few logs were on the ground as if the trees had been torn down that way. There was no other animal in sight. "Why are we here?"

"Do you really not see? Medici, climb. Grab as many apples as you can." She let go of her son's hand. He did as he was told. His body seemed to wrap around the tree as he climbed it. He melded into the trunks and branches, before reappearing higher up in the tree than before. His own bag was filled in seconds.

Mocha was slower. It was clear now that she was no squirrel. She aimed for low branches and climbed like any human would. Before she was done, Medici spoke. "They're coming."

Bartholomew felt it. A rumbling, the earth was sharking, he could hear the breaking of trees. Something was indeed coming. "Medici! Run! Take Bart and run!"

"Momma!"

"I said run!"

"We fight." Bartholomew felt oddly calm. He wasn't a fighter, but he believed in Mocha's ability. She had something that the other Huntsman did not: Wisdom. It was clear to him that she understood many things and she knew much more. She had the strongest weapon of all. She would not lose.

Medici also seemed to understand this.

Four large Boarbatusk charged them. Medici jumped, pulling Bartholomew with him. He sprang to his feet immediately. He swung his hands and two shots of brown colored steam went at the feet of the Boarbatusk. It rolled into the others, temporarily immobilized.

"Momma!" Mocha flew down from the branches. In her left hand was a spear that seemed to be made of white smoke. The base looked like a cloud while the solid, pointed, tip was brown. After closer inspection it was clear that she was not really holding it. She was controlling it as it flew through the air. She could throw it out and reel it in as if it was on a chain. Not once did she touch it.

Medici did not fight himself. It was clear that he was her support. Should any of the Boarbatusks had come close, Medici shot them in place.

At last, the final beast collapsed. Mocha looked tired, but she was not hurt. "We must go. There will be more. Young doctor, help carry some apples. Medici! Eat slowly…."

Before they left, he had already stuffed 4 apples in his mouth. His bag was filled to the brim with more. It was clear that he was a snake Faunus. He had unhinged his jaw.

He smiled happily at his mother. She could not help but smile back, even if her heart was not really in it. Bartholomew did not dare speak first. He was the one in the dark now. He found himself in this position quite often around her and he found that he enjoyed it. He enjoyed knowing that he was not all-knowing. There was a wonderful curiosity in his chest.

"You must be wondering why I took you here… Those trees had food. On the way here, every tree was empty. Do you know why, young doctor?" Ahh, a question. It tickled his brain. He had to find a reason behind what might've been a natural occurrence. However, it was clear that it wasn't. The forest was nearly devoid of food. Animals were not abundant and shrubs were cleared of any berries. The answer was on the tip of his tongue.

"The Boarbatusk we saw today were larger than the others I've seen in videos." Mocha smiled once more. It was clear that his answer was wrong, but she found it amusing nonetheless.

"We do not go into that part of the forest. It belongs to the Grim." Mocha answered.

"But why? It is commonly believed that they do not need food. Why on earth would they need to protect apple trees?"

"Because they are waiting. These Grim have learned that they are likely to die when they attack us. They curb their instinct to kill and wait for us to fall to hunger. We must eat. Soon, the forest will be empty and all the only food for the Faunus of Menagerie will be those apple trees. The Grim are growing stronger the longer they wait. We grow weaker still. They are waiting for the day when we will be all too weak to resist the temptation, and it is then that they will strike. Those Grim were young still. They could not resist when they saw us. They smelled our fear."

"But you're superior, you vanquished them. You knew all of this about them. You killed them so easily, why did you tell Medici to run?"

"Because you are here young doctor. I did not bring you here to die. You are not a warrior. You cannot fight. If you are hurt, we cannot save you."

Bartholomew understood. He was a burden because he could not fight. His mother had told him so when he was younger. It was not until today that he believed it to be true. "I couldn't help you. I became a doctor to save others, and today, it was you who saved me with your knowledge and your fighting."

"Did I not tell you before, young doctor? We are not so different, you and I."

"On the contrary, I believe there is a great difference between you and I. There is much you can teach me. You're a wellspring of knowledge. Why, I believe you should be a teacher in general!"

"You want me to be a teacher?"

"In Vale, there's a school that welcomes Faunus as both students and teachers. You'd be welcome there, I'm sure. You could teach them. They could learn." Bartholomew was ecstatic. His voice was rich with desire for this future where people could learn from this woman. This Faunus.

"And yet, you are here. You are full of knowledge as well. Why do you not teach these students? Why do you not grant them this gift of power?"

"I'm not a teacher. I'm a doctor."

"You can be both. I see great potential in you. You have so much to say and so much to learn. You have courage, strength, the desire to give both to others, yet you are a doctor when you know you should be a Huntsman." Her eyes were clear and bright. Bartholomew couldn't help but feel that this woman was either a genius or a nutcase. It was always either one or the other with people like her.

He did not have a response, and so Mocha took his life into her own hands. "Tomorrow, you will train with Medici. I will show you what it is to fight."

**A/N: I'll be uploading between this and Down the Rabbit Hole + whatever else I put out on occasion, so be prepared for weeks without an update.**


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